Beautiful People Doing Stupid Things
- Lead Developer
- Columbia Sportswear,
- Transistor Studios
As part of the largest and most integrated global marketing campaign in Columbia’s history, the Omni-Heat design emphasized cinematic seamlessness as users navigated through product shots and videos of incredibly attractive people engaging in humorous, exaggerated activities.
The Client
Columbia Sportswear is a globally recognized leader in outdoor apparel and gear, known for its commitment to innovation, quality, and performance. Established in 1938 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Columbia Sportswear has a rich heritage of equipping outdoor enthusiasts with the tools they need to explore and thrive in the great outdoors.
Experience design as part of a multichannel global strategy
To highlight the benefits of this groundbreaking advancement in outdoor apparel, Columbia launched an innovative global ad campaign as revolutionary as Omni-Heat itself. The marketing strategy included print, online, web broadcast, social media, and event marketing, all designed to introduce Omni-Heat to the public in an interactive and engaging manner.
The Digital Experience
At the heart of the campaign was the website, where Butler, Shine, Stern, and Partners produced a series of hilarious videos featuring Olympic athletes in ridiculous situations. Like laying half-naked in the snow making snow angels. Because why not?
A seamless experience
I integrated the visual designs created by Transistor Studios with Columbia’s content to deliver an experience that framed the absurdity of the situations with equally over-the-top interaction design. This included elements like rotating globes, creeping ice ages, and giant freezers, all contributing to seamless navigation and transition effects that maintained the narrative flow.
The Freezer Tour
One of the most memorable elements of the campaign was the Freezer Tour, where consumers were invited to test Omni-Heat products while singing karaoke in The Coldfessional—a large freezer simulating some of the coldest places on earth.